


Stir Crazy

by turtleeden



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Comfort/Angst, F/M, Fluff, back to your regularly scheduled programming lol, but i'm so glad that i finally got this out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 08:55:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17485085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turtleeden/pseuds/turtleeden
Summary: The mission to steal Masayoshi Shido's heart was a success, but Akira grows more and more frustrated and impatient over waiting for the change of heart to take effect. Wanting to ease his frustrations and to get out of the attic, he seeks out Ann for an afternoon of fun.





	Stir Crazy

Akira was walking the streets with his head hung low and his face mostly obscured by the hood that he wore. Everywhere that he went, from riding the afternoon train to walking through the constant busy atmosphere of Central Street… Hell, even in Leblanc, where he can overhear both the regulars and casual visitors talking from the stairs to the attic, he hears the constant praises of Masayoshi Shido by the masses. They were so, _so_ convinced that this man would fix everything wrong with this country, and yet they were so, _so_ oblivious to the man’s true, horrid nature. It made Akira sick to his stomach. The constant and lavish praise that seem to drone on and on, the ignorance of everything involving Shido, the stagnant air that Akira couldn’t possibly ignore even when he tried… everything just felt so wrong.

 _‘How much longer?’_ Akira would think to himself. How much longer does he have to wait for that change of heart to take effect?

In order to keep up the illusion that he was dead -- or, to his oblivious peers at school, back at his hometown for a family emergency -- Akira would usually remain in the attic during the day. It was in the afternoon that he would have more opportunities to get out in the city, hidden in plain sight. He would help out his friends and acquaintances with whatever they need, he would look into new requests that Mishima would send him and plan out an excursion to Mementos, he would buy supplies and new weapons, and maybe perhaps buy a few things for himself and for other people. Akira would do all of the things that he would usually do on any given day, but the difference here was that there was an underlying restlessness in his actions. There was more of an eagerness on his part to get out of the attic, if only for a few hours.

He can’t keep himself cooped up in the attic forever, and he can’t always force himself to keep busy while he’s laying low. And if this situation doesn’t change by the time that Election Day rolls around, which at this point was in a few days time, then Akira didn’t know what he was going to do. He was getting tired of confining himself, tired of hiding, tired of pretending… tired of that bastard trying to ruin his life _again._ Never has he felt this element of impatience in his heart while waiting for a change of heart to take effect. This impatience, coupled with the inner frustration that he felt deep down, made Akira restless.

Today, he wanted to ease that restlessness, if only a little bit. And he knew just the person that could help him with that.

Akira adjusted his hoodie slightly as he stepped out of the train at Shibuya Station, blending well with the bustling crowds as he made his way down to the underground mall. His pace was easy as he walked down the stairs and saw the stores lined up with a lot of people, but his eyes are sharp, keeping a lookout for his girlfriend among the crowds. _‘Don’t be at work… Please be around here...’_ he quietly thought to himself, clenching his teeth a little in his slight worry. It was a selfish hope, he’ll admit it. But it was a hope that she would be there nonetheless. He eventually turned a corner towards another section in the shopping center, just as crowded as the last section was. There, checking out a rack of clothes on display in front of one of the stores, was Ann.

Ah… his light at the end of the tunnel. Now, how should he grab her attention?

Akira smiled to himself, keeping his pace slow and steady as he approached Ann. Once he was close enough to her, he leaned over and playfully tapped her shoulder a few times. Ann, feeling this, turned her head to see who it was. Thankfully, instead of keeping his head down to keep his cover like he has been doing all this time, Akira kept his head up so that Ann could clearly see that it was him. She smiled immediately once she recognizes him, and turned her body fully to face him.

“Hey there, stranger.” she greeted playfully.

“Hey there, beautiful.” he greeted in return, his smile turning into a wry smirk. “You busy?”

“Nope. I’m just window shopping after school, no big deal.” she answered casually. Ann then lowered her voice a little as she leaned close to him, trying to make sure that her voice reached no one else’s ears but his. “But what are you doing around here? You know it’s always crowded…! What if somebody sees you?” she chided in her hushed voice.

“Like anyone would notice me like this after it’s been this long.” Akira scoffed, shrugging his shoulders. His comment sounded more dismissive than he initially intended… seems like his patience wasn’t the only thing that was beginning to run thin. Akira then shook his head, as if he was shaking off those careless thoughts from his mind. “Besides… I wanted to see for myself if you were here.”

Ann shook her head as she straightened up, letting out a small giggle in the process. “You dork. You could’ve texted me or something! I would’ve came right over to you in a heartbeat.” she pointed out.

“I know.” Akira replied, shrugging again. “But I wanted to come to you instead of the other way around. It’s been a while since I was able to do that. As a plus, it lets me step out of Leblanc for a little air. I can only stay cooped up in the attic for so long.”

“...I guess that’s fair.” Ann relented, but there was still a curious look in her eye as she looked at Akira. She looked like she wanted to say something else… but she left it alone for now. Instead, she moved on from the subject at hand, guiding him away from the clothes rack and the store so that they could talk a little more freely. “So! What are you planning this time, mister?” she asked. “I know you didn’t come all this way for nothing.”

Akira’s smile returned as he voiced his intentions to her, a playful glint appearing in his gray eyes. “I wanna let loose.” he said.

“Oh, really?” she said, quirking a brow.

“Really.” he affirmed, nodding his head more eagerly. “Let’s go somewhere fun. Just the two of us. I’ll even let you pick out the place. Anywhere that you want to go, I’m game.”

“Anywhere, huh…?” Ann then lets out a soft hum, looking at Akira with a more thoughtful gaze in her eyes. She took a moment to think to herself, folding her arms loosely as she closed her eyes. Akira doesn’t say anything as he watched her thoughtful expression, noticing her brows furrowing as she tilts her head a little to the side. ( _She’s deep in thought right now. He can tell. What is she thinking?_ ) Ann suddenly snapped her fingers once an idea popped into her head, and she flashed him a grin. “I got it!” she exclaimed.

“Yeah?” he asked, feeling more eager than he thought he’d be over hearing her idea.

“Let’s go down to the boardwalk over at Seaside Park. It’s been a while since we’ve been over there.” Ann offered. “We usually go straight for the rides when we go there, but we could totally do the games around the boardwalk too! We could get some sweets, see the sights, win some prizes… the works! So… what do you say?”

“Done and done.” he said. He didn’t even need to think about it. Akira then brings his arm over and bends it slightly, offering it for Ann to take if she so wanted. “Shall we?”

“Let’s go! Ooh, hold up. Give me a sec.” Ann took a moment to bend her head down and pull down her own white hoodie over her head, all while Akira looks on with a slightly confused look on his face. She tucked in her big pigtails inside of the hood, making sure to make the necessary adjustments for her hair not to be sticking out. Akira had to admit, it amazed him how well she could stuff her hair in that hoodie with ease. ( _And she has so much hair too… her hoodie must actually be bigger than he previously thought._ ) Once Ann felt like she was all set, she raised her head up, moved to cling to his offered arm in a possessive hug, and smiled up at him with a beaming expression on her face.

“Now we match!” she declared proudly.

Akira couldn’t help but laugh at her little outburst then. God damn it. Only Ann. “You’re cute.” he mused, leaning down to press a brief kiss upon her brow. The two of them start to make their way back up to the station proper, hoods up and all as they head towards their new destination at Seaside Park.

\-----

They’re _still_ talking about him.

Even now, he _still_ can’t escape hearing the name Masayoshi Shido.

Akira tried not to let it get to his head, even as he held Ann close to him while they boarded the train. Try as he might to ignore it, the empty sounds of hope that he could overhear from the oblivious masses kept pushing at his mind. It was constant and grating… hearing how people have so much high hopes for Shido when he wins the election, how he was the only one capable of fixing this country, how well suited he seemed to be the next prime minister… when Akira knew well that all of those things they were saying was just _pure and utter bullshit._ Hearing those sentiments over and over throughout the train ride brought upon a dark frown on Akira’s features as he kept his head down, not saying a single word.

Shido doesn’t give a damn about this country. Akira knew this. He doesn’t give a damn about anyone or anything, be innocent bystanders, his own workers, his fellow politicians or even his own goddamn son. Everything was just a stepping stone to him and his god-forsaken ego. And even after that final and very public calling card that the Phantom Thieves sent out to Shido, how in the hell could people _still_ be singing his praises? How can they still have hope in someone so despicable!? Akira grits his teeth as he tries to block out the droning of the people around him, while his mind delves further and further into his disbelief, into his disgust, into his outright _hatred_ for this man --

“Akira.”

Ann’s voice snapped Akira out of his spiraling thoughts, and he felt her hand gently squeezing his sides as a form of comfort. He turned his head to glance over at her, and his face fell slightly at the sight of her concerned expression. _Damn._ She’s worried. He didn’t mean to make her worried… that wasn’t what he wanted at all when he stepped out this afternoon. Akira heaved a quiet sigh as he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze in return as a silent apology. Ann gave him a small smile as she pressed her head against his chest, still rubbing at his sides as a way to calm the quiet storm she can sense was brewing in his head.

“Don’t worry, we’re almost there… Look.”

Akira followed Ann’s finger as she pointed to the window, and he saw the telltale sight of the ferris wheel in the distance. Seeing Seaside Park on the horizon felt like a relief after he endured hearing the constant gushing over Masayoshi Shido on the train. He felt himself relax a little, his jaw loosening from his previous show of frustration and his expression lighting up a little from the heaviness that was hidden beneath his hood.

He had to relax… it was time to have some fun.

\-----

Akira and Ann enter the boardwalk together hand in hand, blending well with the young couples that were also there looking for a good time. Despite the noticeable shift in the city air thanks to Shido and the upcoming election, Seaside Park was as busy as ever. Akira heaved a relieved sigh at the familiar sight, watching his breath turn into a visible puff before him. Man, it’s cold… He almost can’t believe that it’s going to be Winter already. Sometimes he gets so caught up in Phantom Thief business that it was a surprise to him knowing that the seasons are indeed changing. To him, it really showed how long he and the others have been doing this.

“Are you cold?” he asked Ann.

“A little bit, but I’ll be fine.” Ann answered, shrugging her shoulders. Her attention was not on whether she was cold, but rather at the stands that were all around them. She looked around to see the attractions that they were passing by, trying to decide which one to approach first. Eventually the sound of a bell is heard close by, and with its ring, an idea popped up in Ann’s mind.

“I know what can warm us up! Come on!” With great enthusiasm, Ann took the lead and pulled Akira along with her as she headed towards the source of the bell.

“Ann, where are we going?” Akira asked in confusion, quickening his walking pace so that he wouldn’t stumble on his feet.

“You’ll see!” Ann promised, taking a moment to look back at him with a grin on her face. 

The bell’s ring is heard once again, louder as the two quickly approached the source. Akira looked up as he saw a tall, skinny tower just ahead of them. And on top of that tower, as suspected, was the bell that they’ve both been hearing all this time. It looks like Ann lead him to a _High Striker_ stand, and it doesn’t seem like it was that popular right at the moment. There was one other person standing there beside the operator holding the mallet, with no other person waiting for their turn. And that wasn’t even the weirdest part to Akira. _High Striker_ didn’t seem like Ann’s speed at all, so he was surprised that she lead him here in the first place.

“This is gonna warm us up, huh…?” he commented skeptically.

“Of course! There’s nothing like swinging down a big hammer to warm up your arms a bit!” Ann declared proudly, winding up her arm to further enforce this idea of hers. “Besides, between trying to exercise more regularly and doing Metaverse stuff, I wanna see how high I can make that puck go. So, you up for it?”

“Yeah, I can try.” Akira said, nodding at her. Honestly, what does he have to lose?

“Great! I’ll go first, and then you can try.” With that said, Ann approached the operator to ask if she could try the game next. Once it was her turn, the operator smiled and handed her the long mallet. Ann is then guided towards a mat with footprints printed on it, where the lever and the padded target lay in wait for her upcoming strike. She took a moment to blow on her hands and rubbed them together fiercely, readying herself for the mallet. Ann grabbed the mallet by the handle and swung it behind her in order to aim, though her knees did tremble a little as she tried to keep herself steady.

“Ugh… How does Haru do it so easily? I feel like I’m gonna tilt over...” she groaned to herself. Holding a mallet was definitely not the same as wielding a whip, that’s for sure. Nearby, Akira snickered a little to himself after hearing that little comment Ann made. Ann, hearing him snicker, shot him a glare as she huffed disapprovingly. He thinks this is funny, huh…? Well, she’ll show him! “Okay… here goes!” she bellowed, refocusing herself before she swung the mallet down with all of her might.

_Wham!_

...

Ann’s hit made the puck reach a little below half of the tower, much to her surprise.

“Huh… That’s better than I thought it would be. Honestly, I thought I would suck.” she commented.

“ _Better?_ That’s actually pretty good, Ann.” Akira voiced, giving her a thumbs up.

“Hehe… Thanks!” Keeping the smile on her face, Ann then approached Akira with the mallet in her hands. It was then that Ann’s smile turned into a mischievous grin, eagerly awaiting Akira’s own attempt as she spoke in a sing-song voice. “Your turn. ~”

The look on Ann’s face made Akira sweat a little, but… he took the mallet off her hands nonetheless. “Alright. Watch and learn.” he replied confidently as he walked towards the mat that Ann was on previously.

“Go, go! Ring that bell!” Ann cheered from behind him.

The operator guided him properly before stepping back into the spot he was in, leaving Akira to be standing face to face with the long tower. He looked up, his eyes locked onto the target that was way above his reach. For a brief moment, his mind envisioned not the bell that was actually there, but the visage of the man that held all of his intense hatred. Subconsciously, Akira’s grip upon the mallet tightened as he narrowed his eyes sharply at the sight of Shido’s head up above. But instead of simply seething to himself without a word, imagining Shido there at the top gave Akira a burst of motivation to hit his mark. He took his position, swings the mallet behind him to aim, and focused with all of the strength that he could muster. He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly… and finally swung down the mallet with great power.

_Wham!_

...

_...Ding!_

The sound of the bell is proof of his victory.

“You did it!” Ann cheered loudly. In her excitement, she immediately ran up to Akira and wrapped him in a tight, congratulatory hug. “I knew you could do it!” she chimed, jumping a bit in her happiness.

“Heh… Not a problem.” Akira said, smiling a little to himself as he simply watched Ann being so excited over his successful attempt. Honestly, she was more happy about it than he was! Though he had admit, being able to hit the bell when he imagined hitting Shido’s smug face in the process felt so damn good to him. And the act of literally bringing the hammer down made for a good outlet. He felt that a little bit of his stress was relieved, if only for the moment. So for those reasons, he can be satisfied.

“Come on,” Akira finally spoke, rubbing Ann’s shoulder as a way to grab her attention. “Let’s go check out the other games.”

“I’m with you.” Ann replied, before she saw something that caught her attention. Once again, an idea popped into her mind, and she grined. “Ooh, I think I see our next stop right over there!” she says excitedly, pointing at another stand that was close by.

Once again, Akira followed the direction that Ann was pointing at. It looks like there is another gaming stand nearby. What it involved though… he couldn’t tell right away from where he was. What is it? Where was Ann planning to take him this time? As if to answer the question in his head, Akira’s attention then returned to Ann as she waved goodbye to the operator of the _High Striker_ stand as thanks. Noticing that his eyes were on her, she smiled brightly as she gestured her head towards the aforementioned stand. He chuckles lowly to himself before they joined hands, raring to go to their next stop. Whatever that stand was, Akira figured that he was going to find out momentarily.

The next stand that Ann lead him to was a _Shateki_ stand. It had an array of prizes lined up on each of the three selves on display. Some other people were already at the front with the plastic rifles in their hands, aiming and shooting at the prizes they wanted. A few were successful, with some of the prizes falling down from the shelf from their winning shots. Others weren’t so lucky, made obvious by the look of frustration on their faces or by the sight of them slamming 500 yen on the table’s surface. A space eventually cleared up at the stand, making it available to anyone else that was feeling lucky. 

“Whoa… Even when there’s people that are winning, there’s still a lot of prizes up there!” Ann observed.

“You’re pretty focused on the prizes… Shopping for your Christmas gift already?” Akira asked in jest. Ann stifled a laugh when she heard that.

“Pfft! Oh my god, you can’t be serious!” she laughed, feigning surprise. “There’s no way that any of those prizes would actually be my Christmas gift! Ahaha… right…?”

“Heh… Of course not.” Akira assured, shaking his head. His Christmas gift to Ann will be far more thoughtful and personal to him than just simply winning a prize over at Seaside Park. He’s made sure of it. That being said… he wouldn’t mind winning a prize for her. In fact, he was banking on it. She led him here, after all… he should jump at the opportunity to get her something good. “Got anything in mind that you want me to aim for?”

“Ooh, you’re sounding confident. Think you can do it, sharpshooter?” Ann asked, quirking a brow at him.

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” Akira countered proudly. He’s become pretty confident over his shooting skills during his time as a Phantom Thief, so doing this would be no problem for him. Ann couldn’t help but giggle once again over his response.

“Impressive as always.” she said, winking at him. “Surprise me.”

With a confident grin gracing his features, Akira walked up to one of the empty spaces and took out 500 yen from his pocket to pay for his turn. Five shots, one prize. Now he just has to pick one to aim for. Akira took a moment to look up at the prizes, quickly trying to decide before someone beats him to the punch. There were boxed candies, playing cards, little figurines and stuffed dolls… Ah. He sees a decently sized Jack Frost doll that was still up there. _Perfect._ That’s going to be his target.

Akira took hold of the plastic rifle and aimed carefully at his intended target. He has five attempts under his belt, but he really wanted to see if he can do it with just one shot. ( _He’s confident that he can. If Akira can’t do that much, then he probably can’t look Shinya in the eye._ ) He focused in on his target, kepy his arms steady, took steady breaths, and once he’s sure that he has Jack Frost on lock… he pulled the trigger.

_Pop!_

The cork from Akira’s rifle hit the Jack Frost doll right on the head. As a result, it fell down from the shelf faster than one can say ‘Hee-ho!’

 _“Bullseye.”_ he mused to himself, his grin widening at the result. Now… to shoot the next four rounds!

_Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!_

Akira eventually left the stand and returned to Ann with his prizes in his hands. There were a few boxed candies that he’s won -- rock candies from what he could tell. -- but the true eyecatching item was of course, the big Jack Frost doll. Needless to say, Ann got excited once she saw him approach her with all of his winnings in his hands.

“Whoa, what a haul!” she whistled.

“Did you expect anything less?” Akira replied smoothly, handing out the doll to her. “For you.”

“Thanks! Aww, he’s so cute!” Ann cooed, taking the doll from his hands and hugging it in her glee. “Ooh, and so soft too! He’s kinda fluffy to hug. He’d actually make a nice pillow, now that I think about it! Maybe I could put him in my room somewhere… Maybe on my bed? Ooh, or maybe I could let him have his own chair to sit in...”

Akira chuckled under his breath, smiling as he watched Ann rave about her new gift and list all of the ideas that she had as they came to her mind. It made him think to himself… Spending time with her like this was really easing the restlessness in his heart concerning Shido and his change of heart, if only for the moment… but Akira couldn’t help but feel as though she had somehow planned this by bringing him here. Even though he was the one who sought her out, this little date of theirs was really all Ann. Coming to Seaside Park, keeping him relaxed on the train, taking him to places that he wouldn’t have expected her to go to… While she did lead the way with all of her enthusiasm, Akira realized that Ann was really doing all of this for _his_ benefit.

…

“God, I love you.” he said, his smile softening.

Ann heard him while she was in the middle of her spiel and she abruptly stopped speaking, taken off guard by his little declaration of love. “I love you, too.” she replied, smiling back as a light blush dusted her cheeks. “But what’s this all of a sudden?”

“Nothing really.” he answered easily. “I just know what you’re doing.”

“Huh?”

“And I also know that I’m not gonna be the only one having fun here.” With his signature smirk gracing his features, Akira wrapped an arm around Ann’s shoulders and eagerly pulled her along with him as he faced another direction in the park. “We’re gonna let loose for real. Are you in?”

Ann blinked a few times in her surprise, but that surprise is short lived. She eventually matched Akira’s smirk with a grin of her own, and it held all of her infectious energy within it. “Yeah, I’m in! Let’s turn this place upside down!” she declared in her enthusiasm.

“Alright… see that skeeball stand over there? We’ll start with that. I bet I can crush you _easy._ ”

“Oh, you’re so on! Don’t think I’ll go easy on you!”

_“Then let’s get to it.”_

\-----

Even when it has been overcast all day, the view of the bridge linking the park to the city proper was still a sight to see.

Exhausted from their afternoon of fun in the park, Akira and Ann ended up sitting on a bench at the boardwalk where they got a nice view of the bridge. Both of them still had their hoods over their heads, effectively covering most of their faces from oblivious onlookers and prying eyes. Ann’s new Jack Frost doll was sitting beside her at the end of the bench, while she was finishing the last of the boxed candies that Akira won for her at the Shateki stand. As for Akira himself, he was simply enjoying the sights as he sat there on the bench with Ann. Despite seeing it all before, being in a familiar spot brought about a sense of relief inside of him.

“No matter how many times I come here… it’s still a great view.” he mused to himself.

“No kidding. It’s no wonder that this is a popular photoshoot spot.” Ann agreed, closing and setting aside the now empty box of candy. “...I really had a blast today. It really felt good just to enjoy ourselves without worrying.”

“...I have you to thank for that, you know.” Akira then said, turning his head towards her.

“Oh, come on. Don’t butter me up too much. I just wanted to come here because I wanted the both of us to have fun. Especially you, Akira.” Ann pointed out, shaking her head. “...I know these past few weeks have been rough on you. And by now I can tell when you’re reaching your limit. So when you said that you wanted to let loose… I wanted to go somewhere where you could do just that. And if I could have fun along with you, then that’s all the better.”

“....”

“Did you have fun?” Ann then asked.

“Yeah… Yeah, I did. I had more fun today than I had in a long time.” Akira answered, nodding slowly. 

“Good… I’m so glad.” Ann said, sighing in relief. The two of them quietly enjoyed each other’s company as they sat on that bench, keeping close as if to keep each other warm from the cold outside air. Eventually, after a moment of comfortable silence, Akira broke the ice with a seemingly random question.

“Do you know how boring it is to stay cooped up in the attic all day?” he asked.

“...How boring can it be?” Ann asked, quirking a brow.

“I miss school.”

“What!?” Ann gawked at him in disbelief. “Now you’re totally bluffing.”

“I’m dead serious. That’s the unbelievable part. I actually miss that depressing school.” Akira shook his head then, as if he was the one that was in total disbelief right now. “I miss actually going to class and learning about things. I miss feeling all smug whenever I dodge Mr. Ushimaru’s chalk throw of certain death. I even miss overhearing everybody talk about whatever in the hallways… no matter what the subject was, there was always something that was mildly interesting floating about in the hallways. Like what food’s currently in season at the diner, or what movies were out right now that's got everybody talking. Things like that.”

“You even miss that? That’s, um… actually kinda sad.” Ann admitted with a sweat to her brow.

“I know…” Akira said with a groan. He actually couldn’t believe that he was admitting this, but he felt this truth deep inside of his very core. “Ryuji keeps telling me how he’s jealous that I don’t get to go to school since I’m playing dead… but, you know what? I would rather sit in a classroom constantly hearing whatever mundane lesson is going on than stay trapped in my room while hearing the constant praise for Masayoshi Shido below my feet.”

“Akira…” Ann trailed off, her expression falling over hearing his confession. The once comfortable and easy silence between them now grew heavy at the mere mention of Shido. The heaviness grew even further as Akira’s eyes hardened into a steely gray and his lips twisted into a scowl. His inner frustrations were bubbling into a force, and he knew that keeping it all inside was only going to make it fester. So, in the presence of someone he loves and trusts, he decided to come clean about what was plaguing him these past few weeks.

“...I can’t stand waiting around this time, Ann.” Akira admitted, his lips thinning as he lightly tugged at his hood. “There is no other person that I would want to see grovel and beg for forgiveness than that man. And the fact that I still hear all of this praise and hope for him all around me, even with the last calling card that we sent… it makes me sick. Shido doesn’t deserve any praise, any hope or expectations… he doesn’t deserve any of that shit. Not after what he did to me… and Futaba’s mother… and Haru’s father… and...”

“...and Akechi-kun, right?” Ann finished sadly.

“....” Akira doesn’t say anything right then, but he didn’t need to. The heaviness in the air born from his silence along with the darkened expression on his face told Ann all that she needed to know.

“...I know that out of all of us, you were the one that was the most upset over Akechi-kun.” she began. “Even when you tried to keep your feelings all to yourself, you were hurting. Despite knowing what he’s done… you were actually the closest to him out of everybody, weren’t you?”

Once more, Ann’s words was met with Akira’s heavy silence. The only slight difference that Ann noticed was the change in Akira’s demeanor. As he kept quiet, he turned his head away from her, not wanting to admit or deny anything… but the answer was obvious in his movements. From his clenched jaw, to his hands clutching at the fabric of his pant leg, gripping it with a fury… the little actions he made here spoke louder than any other word that he could say out loud.

“Akira… I get it. I get why waiting for this change of heart to happen has gotten you all stir crazy.” Ann continued. “For you, this wasn’t just a mission about simply changing a criminal’s heart, or clearing our names, or even proving our justice to people. This was more like… back when I faced Kamoshida last spring. Or like when Yusuke faced Madarame, and Haru faced her father… Facing Shido was really, really personal for you… and it definitely showed. From exploring his palace… from fighting Akechi-kun… and especially from fighting Shido’s Shadow. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen you that angry than when you were fighting him.”

“...You noticed all of that?” Akira asked. He finally spoke, but his voice was very quiet.

“Yeah… It was hard _not_ to notice.” Ann answered. “Everyone noticed it, and we understood. I mean, not only was he the guy who tried to have you killed and is behind this whole thing with the mental shutdowns and all, this was the guy that set you up in the first place! We totally understood why this would be so personal for you.”

“Ann...” 

“But the thing that really got to me was when I realized why you were so angry during that battle with Shido… you weren’t just angry for what happened to you.” Ann narrowed her eyes as she looked down at the ground for a moment. As she swallowed, she felt a lump forming in her throat… a small taste of the pain that she could feel from him. “You were angry over Akechi-kun too. And you were angry over Futaba and her mom… and over Haru and her father. And it wasn’t just over them, was it Akira?”

Akira shook his head solemnly, finding that as the most simple answer that he could give to Ann. He loosened his grip on his pants and heaved a heavy sigh, trying to relax himself from the tension he was building up by keeping all of these heavy emotions in. Once that he found that he was calm enough to voice his true thoughts to her, he finally spoke.

“For every life that he’s ruined, I want him to pay.” he began. “I want him to remember every face that he’s stepped on in the name of his arrogance. I want every single one of those faces to haunt him for the rest of his days. Let them remind him constantly what a corrupt bastard he is. When the weight of all of his sins comes crashing down on him, he’ll have to atone and beg for forgiveness for the rest of his sorry life, knowing damn well that he’ll never get it.”

“There are fates worse than death, after all.” Ann commented. For a second, there was a small flash of a wry smirk from Akira, knowing very well where he’s heard her say that before.

“Until that day comes where we see that change of heart take effect… we’re all still chained to him… _I’m_ still chained to him, even now. The fact that I still have to pretend that I’m dead proves that.” Akira’s expression changes into one that was more solemn, feeling his inner emotions swirl into a pit of bitterness and hate towards that man. But despite feeling this, he seized a moment to pause and collect himself. Akira took a deep breath and slowly exhaled... before he continued on. “I still have to hide myself… because of him, and I’m sick of it. Ever since that night, I’ve been at his mercy… My probation has been a constant reminder of what that man did to me. I may not ever be free from this criminal record he forced on me, but when Masayoshi Shido finally admits his guilt and pays for his crimes... I’ll at least feel like I’m finally free of him. For me… that would be more than enough.”

He grew quiet again, not saying another word as he bowed his head down. A heavy silence was shared between the two for some time, with only the sounds of the water and the low murmurs of a dwindling crowd filling the void. Eventually, Akira felt his hand being clasped with a gentle squeeze. He blinked in his surprise, before he lifted his head up to glance over at Ann. Ann was wearing a small smile as she held his hand, her thumb gently rubbing against his skin as a form of comfort. Seeing her gentle expression made Akira soften up in turn, slowly easing from the heaviness that has plagued him. There’s a soft vulnerability to his gray eyes that Ann is able to see clearly here, a side to him that she knew she was the only one allowed to see. To that end, she shifted her body and gently leaned her hooded head against his shoulder, never letting go of his hand.

“Hey… It’ll be okay. This whole thing is gonna work out in the end.” she voiced quietly. “No matter what happens, Akira… you’ve got us by your side. And… you have me, too. There’s no way that I’m gonna let you bear this alone.”

“...I know you wouldn’t. That’s just like you, Ann.” Akira said in response, forming a small smile. Feeling a little more peaceful, he took a moment to lean his head against hers and slowly snuggled his cheek against the fabric of her hood. “...Thanks.”

“You don’t have to thank me, you know.” she said simply.

“I know… but I want to.” he replied back.

“Hehe… okay. Then… Anytime.” Ann’s smile then grew a little wider as she relaxed herself in her seat on the bench, still holding on to Akira’s hand as she does so. He, in turn, gave her hand a light squeeze as he allowed himself to truly relax in his seat. The comfortable and easy silence that was there in the beginning finally returns as Akira and Ann sat together on the bench and enjoyed seeing the familiar sight of the bridge and the cityline. They eventually watched the cloudy sky change into the colors of dusk, essentially ending a spontaneous afternoon off from the gravity of the situation at hand. Whatever outcome that will end up coming true in the case of Shido, they will have to be ready to face it. And they will face it… together.

“...Do you know what else I miss about school?” Akira asked.

“What else did you miss?” Ann asked curiously.

“I miss sitting behind you in class every day.” he answered easily.

Ann couldn’t help but giggle at that answer of his. “Hehe… me too.”


End file.
